This invention is concerned with emergency traction apparatus for vehicles, and more particularly with traction apparatus that can be conveniently stored until an emergency arises requiring added traction and then easily applied to, and later removed from, the wheel of a vehicle.
Emergency traction apparatus of the tire chain type commonly used on automobile wheels for providing better traction in snow or ice is difficult to attach to the wheels, usually requiring that the vehicle be lifted by a jack or moved along the ground to draw the chain about the tire. The prior art is replete with devices attempting to improve upon the tire chain. Typically, these devices employ an assembly of J-rods or the like which embrace the tire tread and which are coupled together by some mechanism or linkage. In general, such devices suffer from one or more of the following deficiencies:
1. Complexity, usually requiring multiple pieces that must be assembled in situ.
2. High cost.
3. Insufficient traction elements, such as J-rods.
4. Difficult application to the vehicle wheel, sometimes requiring movement of the wheel or the vehicle, especially when a significant part of the wheel is hidden by a fender or fender skirt.
5. Inadequate ability to maintain the device properly applied to the wheel when the vehicle is driven.
6. Inadequate ability to accommodate flattening of the tire as the wheel turns and to accommodate tire wear.
7. Inability to collapse to a convenient size and shape for storage.